About CCW
Welcome to Co-operative Care Wagin, a place-based, community-owned health and social concierge service dedicated to helping Wagin residents access the many excellent health services available with dignity and support.
Our story
Co-operative Care Wagin was born from a simple but powerful idea: that Wagin residents deserve to age in their own homes, supported by their community. Then the idea expanded to include all residents with needs. Registered as a co-operative and not-for-profit organisation in January 2025, we're a community-owned and member-driven organisation designed to address the gaps in health and social care services in our town. Rather than accepting that rural Australians must travel hundreds of kilometres for essential services or eventually leave their beloved community, we're creating local solutions.
Our vision and mission
We aim to empower access to health and social care by all Wagin residents (and neighbouring areas) to enable independent living. Our mission is to establish a health and social information hub to assist, support, and access high quality care, and to create a culture of collaborative care.
Why a co-operative?
We chose the co-operative model because:
- It's member-owned and member-governed, putting control in the hands of our community
- Long-term succession is built into the design
- It's based on shared values and principles
- It ensures sustainability through collective effort
As Wendy Pederick, our Chair, explains: "We take the long view that we want health care services to be available for decades to come and to be provided with excellence from within our community."
Village
We have a vision for a village mindset that connects members with social support, practical assistance (such as meals, transport, and personal care) in a reciprocal give-and-receive set-up.
Part of something bigger
Co-operative Care Wagin is proud to be part of the Care Together Program, an initiative of the Business Council of Co-operatives and Mutuals (BCCM). Through $7 million in federal government funding, this program is supporting nine innovative care projects across Australia, with Wagin leading the way as the first to officially register as a co-operative.
Our leadership team
Wendy Pederick
CCW Chair
When Wendy married a local farmer in 1972 she came to also love the wide horizons, the stary nights, the smell of the earth, the songs of nature…and the people of Wagin – who she longs to see flourish and thrive and live their fullest life.
Georgia Porter
Director
Georgia, a local community pharmacist, is passionate about expanding healthcare services in small towns, working to ensure that rural communities have access to the care they need close to home.
Malcolm Edward
Director
Malcolm has successfully farmed in Wagin for over 60 years and has always found creative ways, like Woolorama and Co‑operative Care, to invest in the progression of the town.
Sally De Marni
Director
Sally moved to Wagin in 2023 for the peace and serenity of the wide skies and open spaces, and hopes her broad experience in the aged and disability sector can contribute positively to the local community.
Together, we're committed to making Wagin a place where everyone feels secure, healthy and supported, and distant loved-ones can have peace of mind.
Benefits to you
Local workers supporting local community
Building connections and community links
Lower service costs = more service
Choice and control over support workers
More money stays in the local community
Co-ordinated at a local level
Services tailored to your needs
Value adding to your community
At Co-operative Care Wagin, we fully adhere to the Charter of Aged Care Rights as established under the Aged Care Act 1997.
We believe every person receiving aged care services is entitled to:
- safe and high-quality care and services
- be treated with dignity and respect
- have their identity, culture and diversity valued and supported
- live without abuse and neglect
- be informed about their care and services in a way they understand
- access all information about themselves, including information about their rights, care and services
- have control over and make choices about their care and personal and social life, including where the choices involve personal risk
- have control over, and make decisions about, the personal aspects of their daily life, financial affairs and possessions
- their independence
- be listened to and understood
- have a person of their choice, including an aged care advocate, support them or speak on their behalf
- complain free from reprisal and have their complaints dealt with fairly and promptly
- personal privacy and to have their personal information protected
- exercise their rights without it adversely affecting the way they are treated.
As a provider, we also take on the following responsibilities:
- ensuring clients (or their representatives) are informed of their rights under the Charter
- offering a copy of the Charter and keeping records that it was provided
- supporting clients to understand their rights and how they can exercise them
- addressing complaints in a fair, prompt and transparent manner